Telescoping production tube



May 29, 1962 c. B. coRLEY, JR., r-:TAL 3,036,635

TELESCOPING PRODUCTION TUBE 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 27, 1960 FIG.3.

INVENTORS. CHARLES B. CORLEY,JR.,

ET R R. MCSTRAVICK, BY

ATTORNEYl May 29, 1962 c. B. coRLEY, JR., ETAT.. 3,036,635

TELRscoPTNG PRODUCTION TUBE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed OCL. 27, 1960 FIG. 5.

IN V EN TORS.

CHARLES s. CORLEY,JR., PETER R. M STRAVICK, BY ATTORNEY;

nidi ist@ 3,036,635 TELESCOPNG PRDUCTHN TUBE Charles B. Corley, Jr., Houston, and Peter R. McStravick,

Tombaii, Tex., assignors, by mesne assignments, to .ler-

sey Production Research Company, Tulsa, Ghia., a corporation of Delaware Filed st. 27, i960, Ser. No. 65,328 2 Claims. (Cl. 16s-67) This invention relates to a production tube which connects to a subsurface safety valve and methods for installing the tube into and retrieving the tube from a well bore.

It is known to equip Wells with subsurface safety valves to stop the How of production fluids when, for some reason, the wells production cannot be controlled. Valves of this type have been especially useful in offshore wells to prevent lblowouts when excessive ow from the well resulting from damage to the wellhead or other surface equipment caused by storms, floating objects, or other happenings necessitate halting of production.

Many of these valves are ow velocity operated; that is, they are designed to close oit the production flow conduit when the velocity of the fluids owing through the valves reaches a predetermined value. These velocitytype valves are disadvantageous in that they cannot be periodically tested without iiowing the well at a high rate for a short period of time to cause closure of the valve.

Other type safety valves, lsuch as the ones disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,786,535, 2,798,561, 2,812,822, and 2,813,588, employ an external fluid pressure originating at the earths surface to maintain the valves open and depend upon release of this tiu-id pressure to cause the valves to automatically close.

One safety valve of this latter type, which is disclosed and claimed in US, patent applications Serial Nos. 808,429 and 808,430, entitled Subsurface Valve and Subsurface Safety Valve, respectively, by Harry Pistole et al., utilizes a tubular conduit for carrying production iiuids to the surface. In addition to providing a flow path for the well fluids from the safety valve to the surface, the production tube serves the purpose of creating a pressure type annulus between the pipe in which the safety valve is installed and the production tube, which is useful for testing the operation of the safety valve without removing the valve from the well. The flow path provided by the production tubing preferably is of substantally constant cross-sectional area throughout its length. This feature is important, since it prevents the accumulation of sand carried by the production fluids. Since the production uids from many wells contain free sand, accumulation of this sand along any part of the iiow path presents a problem.

It is desirable to install the subsurface safety valve and the productiontube used with it either together or separately without killing the well; i.e., while the well is under pressure. However, the placement depth for the safety valve requires in many instances a production tube which is so long that the use of a lubricator is out of the question.

The present invention provides a telescoping production tube which, when collapsed, is sufficiently short in length (even when the safety valve is attached thereto) to be contained within a short length lubricator. The manner of setting and of retrieving the production tube with or without the safety valve attached and the associated or auxiliary apparatus for conducting these operations also are encompassed by the invention. In brief, the apparatus of the invention comprises an open-ended, telescoping production tubing provided on its lower end with a safety valve with a latching mechanism adapted to latch onto the upper end of the safety valve; means for anchoring the upper end of the production tubing in the wellhead used to support the pipe in which the safety valve is or is to be arranged; means arranged on the production tubing for sealing off the annulus between the production tubing and the inner wall of the wellhead :between a production fluid flow conduit and a safety valve control fluid ow conduit; releasable means initially retaining the production tubing in collapsed position; and means arranged adjacent the lower end of the production tubing adapted to engage a retrieving tool.

The methods for running the production. tubing and latch-ing onto the subsurface safety valve or for positioning the subsurface safety valve in the well tubing and for retrieving them therefrom also are part of the invention.

Primary objects of the present invention are to provide an improved production tube for use with subsurface safety valves and methods for installing the production tubing in and retrieving the production tubing from the well.

This and other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following more detailed description of the invention, which is given in conjunction with the drawings wherein:

FIG. l is a vertical partly-sectional View of a wellhead apparatus provided with a master valve and including a tubing suspended therefrom and a lubricator mounted thereon in which is arranged the collapsed production tube and a running tool connected to it;

FIG. 2 is a vertical, partly-sectional view of the wellhead, lubricator, and tubing of FIG. l showing the elements of the production tube and running tool in greater detail and in a different position;

FIG. 3 is a View simi-lar to that shown in FIG. 2 showing the production tube extended and in set, operating position;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 2 showing the retrieving tool and the production tube in one position; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to that shown in FIG. 2 showing the retrieving tool and production tube in another position.

In the iigures is `shown a wellhead generally designated i0, from which is suspended a casing 1l and a pipe or tubing 12, to the upper end of which is connected a lubrioator 13. As seen in FIG. 1, the lubricator is provided with a stuing boX 14 at its upper end and a blowout preventer 1S, shown in closed position, adjacent the lower end thereof. A -telescoping production tube 16, to which is connected a running tool i7, is suspended in lubricator 1-3 on a wire line 18. Wellhead 10i is provided with a production flow cond-uit 19, a safety valve control fluid pressure conduit 2t), a master valve 21, and a pipe hanger 22, from which casing 11 and `tub-ing 12 are suspended.

As -seen in FIG. 2, the upper end y25 of a safety valve 26 forms a retiievable head. Also, the upper end is indented as at 27 to form part of a latch recess for the lower pronged end portion 2S of the lowermost section 29 of telescoping production tube 16. The outer surface of this lowermost section adjacent the end thereof is provided with a seal 30 and also adjacent the lower end an internal shoulder 31 is formed thereon. The enlarged upper end 34 of the lower section 29 is provided with a seal 3l2 for sealing olf the -space between -this end of the section and the inner wall of an outer telescoping section 33, and it forms a shoulder 35, which engages a lower shoulder 36 formed on the lower end of section 33, which serves to provide a stop between the telescoping sections in their extended positions. 'Fhe inner wall at the upper end of section 29 is recessed as at 40. The outer wall of section 33 is provided with seals 41 for closing oit the space between .the inner wellhead wall vand the outer surface of section 33. Above seals 41 on sec tion 33 are arranged a plurality of dogs 42 retained on section 33 by a dog retainer 43. An expander sleeve and retrieving neck 53 is releasably connected to section 33 above dogs 42 by means o-f a shear pin 44. Wire line tool 17, which includes a stem 45, jars 46, and hanger assembly 47, is connec-ted to a collar 43 by means oil shear pin 49. The hanger assembly 47 includes a plurality of fingers 50, the lower ends of which are enlarged to releasably lodge in recess `40 of section 29. The interior wall of wellhead is recessed as at 51 to receive dogs 42 upon expansion thereof, which occurs upon downward movement of dogs 42 on and relative to the upper tapered surface 52 of section 36.

ln FIGS. 4 and 5 is shown a pul-ling tool 60, which includes a stem and jars similar to the stem and jars of running ltool 17. A retrieving collar 61 provided with arms 62 adapted to engage retrieving neck 53 is connected to pulling tool `6&9 by shear pin `63. The lower end of pulling ltool 6@ is provided with a plurality of prongs 64, which are designed to engage the interior shoulder 31 of section 219.

When it is desired to install a safety valve in a well under pressure, the safety valve 26 is run on a wire line and set at a desired depth. Although in the description of the invention the safety valve is run, set, and retrieved separately from running, setting, and retrieving of the production tubing, it is possible and the invention is intended to encompass initially connecting the lower end of the telescoping production tube to the upper end of the safety valve and running, setting, and retrieving them together.

Whether or not they are run together or separately, lubricator 13 is connected to the upper end of wellhead 10, blowout preventer 15 is closed, and telescoping production tube 16 and running tool 45, connected -to and suspended on wire line 18, is positioned in lubricator 13. The stuing box 14 then is positioned on the upper end of lubiicator 13 as seen in FIG. l.

Blowout preventer is opened, and the production tube and running tool are lowered through master valve 21 as seen in FIG. 2. When dogs 42 are adjacent recess 51 in wellhe-ad 10, the running tool is jarred until shear pin 44 shears, which releases the connection between the expander sleeve and retrieving neck 43 and the upper section 33 of the telescoping tube. Dogs 4Z lodge in recess 51 in wellhead 1t) by lowering of the running tool, and seals 41 seal off the space between the interior wall of wellhead 10 and the upper telescoping section 33 of the production tube as seen in FIG. 2. This action anchors the production tube in Wellhead 10 and seals oli the space between the wellhead 10 and the production tube. Additional jarring of the running tool severs shear pin 49 in collar 48 and releases the running tool from its connect-ion with production tube 16. Then, the running `tool and the lower telescoping section 29 are lowered until prongs 28 lodge in recess 27 of safety valve 26.

Seals 30 seal olf the space between -the interior wall of safety valve 26 and the outer surface of section 29; Shoulders 36 of section 33 and 35 of section 2.9 prevent further downward movement of lower section 29. Running tool 45 then is retrieved by pulling up on wire line 18, which disengages fingers 50 from recess 40 in the process. The running tool is raised until the lower end thereof is above blowout preventer 15. IBlowout preventer 15 then is closed, and the well is produced through the safety valve, the extending production tube 16, and flow conduit 19. The valve is maintained open by providing fluid pressure to the annulus between the production tubing and tubing 12 through safety valve control conduit 20.

When it is desired to retrieve the production tubing (or production tubing and safety valve), pulling tool 6i) is y'arranged in lubricator 13, and stuing box 14 is con nected to the upper end thereof. Blowout preventer 15 is opened, and `the pulling tool is lowered on wire line 18 until arms 62 engage retrieving neck `53 of production tube 16. Upward jarring on pulling tool 6) releases dogs 42 `from recess 51 as seen in FIG. 4. Then, downward jarring on tool 60 causes :shear pin 63 to sever, which releases the pulling tool from connection with retrieving collar 61. Pulling tool 60 then is lowered through the production tube until prongs y64 engage the lower side of shoulder 31 of section 29. Pulling tool 60 then is pulled upwardly by wire line 18 carrying with it lower section 29, the latch members 28 of which disengage from recess 27. When the upper end of lower section 219 engages shoulder 154 on upper .section 33 as seen in FIG. 5, continued upward pull on wire line 18 raises the collapsed tube until it is positioned within lubricator 13, after which blowout preventer 15 is closed.

Instead of setting the production tubing above the master valve as described and shown, it may be desired to set it below the master valve in order to prevent blocking of the action of the master Vvalve while the safety valve and production tubing are installed in the well. In this alternative arrangement, the recess available in many commercial wellheads could be used to hang the production tubing, and these wellheads could be altered to provide for the connection of a safety valve control line beneath the mas-ter valve.

.Having fully described the nature, objects, apparatus, and operation of our invention, we claim:

1. Production fluid apparatus for use with a subsurface safety valve which is located in a well pipe suspended from a wellhead and adapted to be positioned in said well pipe on a wire line setting tool and to be retrieved from said well pipe by `a wire line pulling tool comprising an open-ended production tubing having a plurality of vertically extendible, retractable, telescoping sections adapted to form when extended in said well pipe an isolated production fluid flow path between said subsurface safety valve and said wellhead; latching means arranged on the lower end of the lowermost of said telescoping sections adapted to engage said subsurface safety valve; anchoring means arranged on the upper portion of the uppermost of said telescoping sections adapted to releasably anchor said production tubing in said wellhead; means arranged on the upper end of said uppermost section adapted to seal off the annulus between said production tubing and the inner wall of said wellhead; means arranged on the upper end of said lowermost section adapted to releasably engage said setting tool for initially retaining said production tubing in retracted position; and means arranged on the lower end of said lowermost section adapted to engage said pulling tool.

2. Production iluid apparatus for use with a subsurface safety valve which is located in a well pipe suspended from a wellhead and adapted to be positioned in said well pipe on a wire line setting tool and to be retrieved from said well pipe by a wire line pulling tool comprising:

an open-ended production tubing having a plurality of vertically extendible, retractable -telescoping sections adapted to form when extended in said well pipe an isolated production fluid flow path between `said subsurface safety valve and said wellhead;

latching means arranged on the lowermost of said Itelescctping sections adapted to engage said subsurface safety valve;

means arranged on said ftelescoping sections adapted to releasably anchor said production tubing in said wellhead;

means arranged on the lowermost telescoping section adapted Ito releasably engage said setting tool for initially retaining said production tubing in retracted position;

means arranged on said lowermost section adapted to engage said pulling tool; and

sealing means arranged between said wellhead and said production tubing for `sealing off the space therebetween.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tschappat Oct. 6, 1936 Brown Aug. 20, 1940 Otis Oct. 16, 1956 En Dean et al Apr. 22, 1958 Russell et al Sept. 29, 1959 Sizer Dec. 6, 1960 

